INSIDER SPEAKS TRUTH ABOUT NEW WVU BASKETBALL COACH: “ROSS HODGE WILL FLOP AT WVU”
In the smoky back corridors of Big 12 media rooms and booster club luncheons, a thunderclap of doubt has erupted around West Virginia University’s newest men’s basketball hire—Coach Ross Hodge. The buzz? “Ross Hodge will flop at WVU.” These stinging words didn’t come from a rival fan, nor an angry ex-player. They came from deep within: a respected insider with direct knowledge of the program, a former Mountaineer assistant with deep ties to the recruiting trenches, and they are shaking the program’s foundation.
The insider, who asked to remain anonymous to preserve relationships within the athletic department, didn’t mince words. “Ross is a grinder, no doubt, but the Big 12 is a different animal. You don’t just walk in here from North Texas and expect to out-coach Bill Self or Scott Drew. He’s not ready—his staff isn’t Big 12-ready, and that locker room? It’s more fractured than the public knows.”
The criticism didn’t stop there. “He hasn’t coached a single game here, and already there’s tension with Athletic Director Wren Baker. The salary delay drama? That was real. Behind the scenes, there’s frustration about resources, about NIL support, and about players entering the transfer portal within days of his hire. He’s trying to instill grit and defense-first mentality, but these kids didn’t come to Morgantown to score 52 points a game and wrestle in the paint.”
Sources close to the team say Hodge’s first weeks on campus have been rocky. A summer team scrimmage ended with two starters exchanging shoves, and multiple high-profile recruits have ghosted his calls. “Ross is a great Xs and Os mind,” the insider admitted. “But this isn’t Conference USA. This is basketball warfare, night in and night out. You’ve got to have more than schemes—you need charisma, control, and culture. I don’t see any of it yet.”
The blunt forecast is stark: Hodge, despite his underdog story and intense sideline passion, may not survive past his second year. The buyout clause in his contract—reportedly steep—might be the only reason he lasts that long.
Still, there are those within the program holding out hope. “He’s got heart,” said one team manager. “Maybe that’s enough.” But in Morgantown, where basketball is religion and the ghosts of Bob Huggins still echo in the Coliseum, hope is fragile.
The insider closed with this dagger: “WVU needs a storm-chaser, not a storm-shelter. And right now, Ross Hodge is standing in the rain with an umbrella made of paper.”
Only time will tell if Ross Hodge can weather the gale. But in the eyes of some close to the flame, the writing is already on the coal-stained walls of the Mountain State.
